Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ Seer ❯ She Who Grows ( Chapter 3 )

Seer

She Who Grows

The night before…

In the world of the living, Toshiro Hitsugaya stood above an empty plot in a housing development. It was well before dawn in the World of the Living and the destruction from last night was still present below. A small frown turned the corner of his lips as he studied the ground. Something about his 3rd seat's encounter with a Hollow here bothered him. There had been hollows who could hide themselves from the detection of the Soul Society for long periods of time, but even they eventually had been sensed as soon as they revealed themselves. Ria Yamamoto should have never received orders to come here, or someone should have been notified and backed her up.

Feeling a senkaimon open, Toshiro turned to watch as Captain Rukia Abarai stepped through. She acknowledged him with a nod and strode up beside him. Her Captain's Haori was wrapped around her like a kimono, belted with a white obi to make her form slender and elegant. Today, her hair was up in a shimada, a new style for the 13th Squad Captain. Normally, she wore her hair down, and since she had been growing it out, it was quite the change to see it pinned up and so formal.

"Good morning, Toshiro," she greeted.

"Thank you for coming, Rukia," he returned, his eyes roving over Captain Abarai's new look.

Noticing the appraisal, Rukia quickly looked down at herself and exclaimed in surprise, "I didn't even think to change when I got your message. I was practicing for the festival next week."

"Don't worry about it," Toshiro replied. "It's just different from what I'm used to seeing you in."

Rukia nodded and waved off the current conversation. "Toshiro, why did you ask me to come here?"

He turned his attention back to the ground. "There's something going on with one of my squad members. I was hoping you would have some insight into the situation."

"Oh?" Rukia followed his gaze to the empty lot. Other than the obvious remains of a fight, nothing seemed amiss, but she could sense the residual spirit energy from a Soul Reaper and traces of a Hollow. "It's not like you to come to me with issues. Who is it?"

"Do you remember Ria Yamamoto? She transferred from Squad 13 to Squad 10 about 5 years ago."

"Of course, she transferred with a promotion to your 3rd seat," she responded quickly. "We still see each other often. She's playing the music for my dance at the Summer Festival."

Toshiro paused, not having expected that sort of answer.

"Has she expressed any concerns lately?" He asked as he descended to the lot.

"Not really," Rukia replied, following Toshiro's descent until they were both standing in a small clearing of trees. "Why do you ask?"

Toshiro started walking through the trees, his eyes intent on the ground, tracking something that Rukia wasn't aware of. She followed him as he moved, keeping her senses open to try and pick up on what he was following.

"I think something is after her," he said quietly. "Last night she received orders to perform a konso on a wandering soul in this area."

He slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out a cell phone. Flipping it open, he tapped a few buttons and held it out to Rukia. She took the phone, scanning over the displayed message.

"That's not out of the ordinary for her. She usually takes on the non-combat missions, she even did so when she was part of my squad," Rukia commented, handing him back the cell phone.

"What is odd is that there was a hollow waiting for her."

Rukia paused for a moment. "You mean she was sent the wrong message?"

"I'm not sure. She was in the Seireitei when she received her orders, but instead of a hell butterfly delivering the message, it came on her cell phone."

Kneeling, Toshiro traced his fingers across the ground where burn marks marred the cement. "I haven't asked her exactly what happened yet, I believe she is still too shaken by the event to speak clearly. But when I arrived, she had used her zanpakuto to barricade herself."

"And the hollow?" Rukia asked as she stepped forward, following the street some ways to inspect the debris.

"Unharmed. I killed it upon realizing it was going to break through her barricade." Toshiro stood and followed Rukia, his eyes scrutinizing the area until they discovered blood stains.

"I would believe that Ria could kill an average hollow on her own, but the one after her wasn't just some hollow, was it?"

"No, it was far stronger than an average hollow. Perhaps it was close to becoming a Gillian."

"I wonder what would attract a hollow like that here," she murmured as she knelt behind one of the piles of rubble, her head vanishing entirely. When she stood back up, she held a mangled piece of metal in her palm. Dry blood coated the tips of the object, tainting the once avian shape.

"That's what I am wondering. A hollow as strong as that one would have been seeking out strong spiritual energy, not just wandering around looking for souls," Toshiro said as he stood and walked over to Rukia. "What is that?"

"Ria's kanzashi." She turned to him and held it out for him to take. "She'll want to come find it when she realizes it's missing, healthy or not."

"Whys that?" He took the destroyed hair ornament from her and held it gingerly in his hands.

"It holds sentimental meaning to her."

Toshiro nodded as he slipped it into his pocket.

"Something does seem off about the situation." Rukia turned fully toward him, her face set in a curious frown. "Why do you care about what's happening to Ria so much?"

"What do you mean? It's my duty to protect the members of my squad."

Rukia raised a brow while her lips quirked in a small grin. "Uh-huh. That's why you're all worked up, calling me to the World of the Living before the cleanup crew can fix this area. If you were being your normal self, you would have just sent Rangiku to take care of her."

Toshiro scowled at her. She couldn't help but to laugh.

"Tell you what," she said, turning away from him as a senkaimon appeared in front of her. "When Ria is with me, I will look out for her. If she says anything curious, I will let you know, but she and I don't really have that sort of relationship."

She paused at the portal for a moment, then glanced back at him. "Since Momo married Ogido, you've been cold, distant, and rather unfriendly to everyone besides Rangiku. You've even alienated your squad, from what I've heard. Perhaps it's time you opened up again."

Ria

I had spent all night tossing and turning in my bedroll. Between thoughts of actually training with my Captain and Lieutenant, and nightmares of the Hollow eating me, I was a wreck when morning came. When Lieutenant Kiyone arrived to release me, she was hesitant to let me go.

"If you weren't going to be with Rangiku and Captain Hitsugaya all day, I wouldn't let you leave," she said with a worried look on her face.

"I'll be fine," I countered with a dismissive wave. "Thanks to your squad, most of my injuries have healed on the outside."

I patted the set of bandages they had left on over my chest. "My chest is the only thing that actually hurts anymore."

"But you're still weak," she corrected. "Take it easy today and tomorrow. You don't want to reopen that chest wound."

"I'll be careful, Lieutenant," I assured her. Though, I had no idea what Captain Hitsugaya had in store. I guess that wasn't really a promise that I could make… Too late now.

Grasping my zanpakuto in one hand, I used the other to help get to my feet. The lack of sleep and the energy I was using to heal made me a bit lightheaded when I finally stood straight, but I quickly shook it off. I couldn't be falling over in front of Lieutenant Kiyone or she'd force me back in bed.

"Thank you, Lieutenant," I said as I headed for the door. It opened before I could slide it out of the way and Amagi's soft smile greeted me.

"Hey, Yamamoto," he greeted.

"Hi, Amagi," I returned his smile with a small one of my own.

"I'm here to escort you to the training grounds. Captain's orders."

I nodded and waved to Lieutenant Kiyone as I started down the narrow hallway leading to the Infirmary exit. Amagi was close behind me when we emerged onto one of the many paths that made up the Seireitei. With the extra walking room, he came up beside me.

"So, what kind of trouble did you get yourself into?" He questioned.

"The Captain didn't tell you before you came to get me?"

"No, and neither would Rangiku," He let out a small sigh. "I was worried about you."

"Sorry," I apologized. Amagi was something like a friend to me, though we didn't really hang out outside of work hours. Telling him what happened wouldn't really hurt my reputation with him. He already knew about what I could and couldn't do, but I didn't relish advertising my lack of ability. "I was in the World of the Living to perform a Konso when a Hollow surprised me. I'll be back to normal in a few days."

"Ah," He murmured. "I am glad you made it back safely." He patted me on the shoulder, pressing harder than necessary. I ignored it as best I could. With only the chest bandages remaining on my body, it wasn't like he even knew I had been injured there. I wouldn't let it show.

"Of course I came back safely," I jested. "I may not be the greatest Soul Reaper ever, but I wouldn't let a Hollow like that kill me." Oh boy, I was really starting to dig myself a hole. If that Hollow had actually decided to kill me, I would have been dead long before Captain Hitsugaya arrived.

We walked in silence for a while. If I had been in better shape, I would have suggested flash stepping to the training grounds. I could probably make it there just fine, but Amagi was slow and not very skilled with his shunpo. If I decided to take a dive, he would try to catch me, and I would probably end up getting him hurt. So, we walked clear out to the Squad 10 training grounds. There were three different places that our squad maintained for training, but two out of the three were near each other. If we were going out to the cave, we'd be walking for a good hour or two since it was on the outer edge of the Rukon District. If I had to walk all the way there, I'd never make it.

"Are you planning on attending the Summer Festival next week?" he asked out of the blue.

"Not exactly," I said with an unsure tone, "why do you ask?"

"I was wondering if you would like to go with me?"

"Ah," I looked over at him to see a hopeful smile on his face. I hadn't expected him to ask me to attend with him. I didn't see him as the sort of guy that I would be interested in courting. When I had lived with my sister and brother-in-law, I had been groomed to be married off to an advantageous family. When I became a Soul Reaper, they released me from any obligations so I could pursue my new purpose without holding back. Despite the change, instilled habits were hard to break. Amagi… well, I didn't have feelings for him and he wasn't any higher in status than my family. There was really no reason to string him along. At least I didn't have to make up an excuse, because I already had plans.

"I'm sorry, Amagi. I'm not exactly attending the Festival because I'm supposed to be helping with the celebration dance. Normally, the Kuchiki Clan holds their own celebration, but Captain Rukia Abarai has chosen to dance at the celebration here in the Seireitei. I volunteered to play the koto for her dance, so I may be tied up most of the night."

"It's alright," he assured me. "I didn't know you played an instrument."

"Yeah. I was born in the 4th district of North Rukon, but my sister married into the Ise Clan when I was four. She groomed me to be a respected lady until I entered the academy. Learning to play several instruments was part of that." My hand instinctively went up to my hair to touch the hummingbird kanzashi, only to find it missing. My heart sank for a moment as I realized my kanzashi was gone, probably pulled from my hair when I was hit by debris. I could only pray it hadn't been lost when the battleground was repaired. What would I tell my sister the next time I saw her if I couldn't find it? I would have to go back to the World of the Living when I got a chance. It would only take me a few minutes to find and-

"Yamamoto?"

I hadn't realized that I'd stopped walking. Quickly I caught up to Amagi and pushed the sadness in my heart aside. "Sorry, lost in thought."

"Are you well enough to go train?" he asked.

"I hope so," I said with a small laugh. "Where are we going, by the way?"

"I was told that they would be in the forest, just outside of the cave area they typically train in."

"That will take all day to get to if we keep walking," I frowned.

"Are you strong enough to make it all the way there?"

"I was actually thinking of flash stepping there, but I don't want to put you out," I said with a shake of my head.

"We can flash step if you are up for it. You should probably take it easy and slow with those injuries anyway."

I looked away from him, hiding my guilty expression. He knew he was slower than me when it came to flash stepping, but he was right. With the injuries I was sporting, I wouldn't be much faster than him, if I could even keep up.

"I should be fine, if you don't mind," I said with a nod. "I just don't want to hold you up."

"When Captain Hitsugaya asks, you take it as an order," he said with a friendly smile. No one in our squad would ever want to be on the receiving end of one of the captain's glares. How Rangiku managed to not cower away in fear was beyond me. But, they had history. I could only imagine that she had built up some sort of immunity to his flat, irritated stares.

"Thank you, Amagi," I said with a small bow of my head.

"Anytime, Yamamoto. Now, you go on ahead and I will follow. If you have any issues, I'll be right behind you."

I met his daffodil gaze for a moment before I nodded and turned my attention to the walls around us. The first step I made up to the top of the wall was easy, the second as I moved across the rooftops felt the same. I was making good time until I tried to move like I normally did. A sharp tearing sensation shot through my chest as I jumped the wall surrounding the Seireitei, and I almost crashed into a building on the other side. Managing to land on part of a roof without falling, I used a wall to support myself as I clutched my chest. Taking shallow breaths, I looked down at the small, blooming flower of blood on my bandages. It wasn't bad on the surface, but I could feel the pain inside my chest with every breath.

"Are you alright?" Amagi's concerned voice came as I felt him stop just behind me.

"Yeah," I bit out as I let the wall take my weight. I slid down until my hip was resting on the roof tiles and let my muscles relax so I could catch my breath.

"How bad is it?" He asked as he moved around me. He knelt and started to reach for my hand that was covering the bandages, but I waved him off.

"I just need a minute," I responded. He hesitated but seemed to be satisfied with that answer, returning to his feet and turning away. It made me smile. I may have been a girl and someone that he may have been interested in, but he was treating me like the superior officer that I was, and giving me a moment to collect myself.

I took the time he was giving me and forced my breathing to calm. Struggling against the pain wasn't going to help me finish the trek to the training grounds. Once it had dulled and my breathing had returned to normal, I stood with the support of the wall, the slope of the shingles making it easier than getting out of bed had been. I tested my shoulder and stretched my chest as much as I felt I could, making sure I wasn't going to lose myself to the pain again.

I reached out to Amagi, resting my hand on his shoulder as I said, "Let's go."

I didn't give him a chance to question me as I took off. I kept my steps slow and held my hand over the bandages as I moved. I glanced down every few steps to check the bandages, but I didn't stop. If I just kept going, I'd make it there eventually.

Finally, we came up to the edge of the forest. It had been a good ten minutes of flash stepping total, and my body felt the strain as I stopped. I normally didn't flash step for long periods of time, so doing it while injured was draining. I walked over to a boulder that protruded from the ground and leaned my weight onto it. Amagi emerged from his flash step just as I pulled my hand away from my chest. I heard his footsteps, but ignored him in favor of my bandages. My little stunt had reopened the wound. It wasn't bad, but it was enough that if Rangiku saw, she would scold me.

"There you are."

Speak of the devil! I hadn't been expecting her to be waiting for us out here. The cave entrance was on the other side of the woods, a good distance from here.

"I'm surprised you made it here so fast," Rangiku said as she emerged from the trees and moved towards us.

"Ah, Lieutenant Rangiku," I said hesitantly. If I tried to hide the bandages now, she would just make me show them to her. "We flash stepped here."

"You did that all the way here?" She sounded surprised as she stopped before us. She looked me up and down, her eyes stopping on the reddened bandages. "You hurt yourself doing it too, didn't you?"

"I'm fine, I just ripped the stitches a bit," I defended.

"Why didn't you stop her, Kyoruni?" Rangiku asked as she turned her gaze on Amagi.

"It's not my place to tell her what to do," he answered smoothly. Rangiku let out a huff and rolled her eyes, but didn't comment on his excuse.

"I don't know what the Captain was thinking. You should still be in bed, if not back at the infirmary for another day or two," she huffed at me. "You look dead tired too. You really should be resting."

"I'm fine, Lieutenant. I just didn't get any sleep last night."

Her eyes narrowed at me, clearly indicating that I had some explaining to do. She turned the glare to Amagi and I heard him shift. "You may go, Kyoruni."

He didn't hesitate to move, bowing quickly and turning on his heel before he vanished in a flash step.

"Ria," she started to say, but was interrupted by a male shout from the forest.

"What's taking you two so long? Get your asses over here so we can do something!" The trees shook from the force of Lieutenant Madarame's shout.

Instantly, I turned away to hide my face. I shouldn't have been surprised that someone from Squad 11 was here. Rangiku and the Captain had worked closely with the Squad 11 Lieutenant and Yumichika Ayasegawa, their 3rd seat. I couldn't be all emotional around them. It would probably freak them out and blow a fuse in their combat oriented minds.

"We're coming, don't get your panties in a twist," Rangiku called back.

"Hey! I don't wear panties! That's something I should be saying to you!"

"Shut up and get over here!" Captain Hitsugaya's voice cut off any further arguing between the two.

Rangiku groaned quietly to herself before turning to me. "If you start feeling faint or whatever, you better say something."

I followed Rangiku as she headed into the forest. The short walk gave me time to clear my thoughts and think about what was about to happen. The shade of the trees was dark, but I had no trouble seeing with the streams of light filtering through the canopy. Coming up to a small clearing, I glanced around Rangiku to see who was gathered there. Captain Hitsugaya, Lieutenant Ikkaku Madarame, Yumichika Ayasegawa, Lieutenant Renji Abarai and even a few other Soul Reapers that I didn't recognize stood grouped in the sun. It was a rather large gathering for what I had been expecting.

Coming up to the group, I did my best to be small and unnoticed. No one seemed to pay me any mind, so I settled in behind Rangiku to listen in on what was going on.

"Today's combat training will consist of sparring," Captain Hitsugaya announced to the group. He waited for the whoops and cheers to quiet down before he continued. "If you plan on using your bankai, head to the cave. If not, try not to destroy the forest during your fights."

Groups of people began leaving the area, slowly shrinking the amount of people I could hide behind until only three other people were still standing here.

"If you aren't up to sparring today, head to the cliffs and try not to get in everyone else's way." I started to move with the few remaining people, but Captain Hitsugaya's gaze flicked to me for a moment and he motioned for me to wait before his gaze turned back to the other Soul Reapers. I followed their backs with my eyes as they moved into the trees.

And just like that, I was standing alone with my captain.

He was still gazing off in the direction that the others had left in when I turned to him. Unlike that brief moment yesterday, he was back to assuming the totally intimidating presence I had come to know him by. He looked stoic as ever. With him facing away, his face was more defined in the light and his eyes seemed to glimmer in the sun. Even his zanpakuto seemed to be gleaming in the streams of sun, but his stance was stiff, his hands tense and his expression annoyed. Maybe I shouldn't have come here today.

Captain Hitsugaya took in a deep breath and let it out. With that woosh of air, his face relaxed and his shoulders slouched.

"I swear they get so worked up just before a fight," he groaned. He slid a hand through his hair, pulling it away from his face only for it to fall back into place. When he looked at me, he looked far more relaxed than he had a moment ago, like the man from yesterday was peeking through.

"I'm sorry if I'm keeping you from training with them," I commented.

"I don't normally participate in their combat training. It wouldn't teach them anything if they put all they have got into a fight, and have no hope of actually winning."

"You're pretty confident," I teased as I tipped my head to the side a little and resisted the urge to smirk. Quickly realizing what I had said, I tried to cover myself. "I mean, you should be because, you know, you're a captain and all."

"Relax, Yamamoto," he said, his voice light. "There's no need to be so nervous."

"Sorry, sir," I quickly apologized. "I've just never interacted with you in such a format. I don't really know how to conduct myself."

"You can start by not being so stiff," he said, turning away and walking in a different direction from where the others had gone. I started to run after him, but the jarring movement made my chest ache so I followed him at a distance. I don't know if he sensed my hesitation, but he slowed his pace until I was walking almost beside him.

"Thank you," I mumbled.

"Why did you become a Soul Reaper?" He asked. The question was totally out of the blue and unexpected. But, I tried to give him my best on the spot answer.

"I didn't want to be stuck in the life I had," I said quietly. "It was good though, my life. I had an education, money to live comfortably, family and a promising future. But, it was just a means to an end in my eyes. I had the power and ability to do something different that would benefit the family name, so I did it."

"Why does your name matter to you?"

I glanced up at him from the corner of my eye. He was giving me a sideways glance back.

"It doesn't matter to me, per say. Especially not now. But since my sister married, I'm the only Yamamoto left in our family. She was the one who groomed me to be worthy of it. Apparently, our mother did the same for her and I didn't want to disappoint." I shrugged and instantly regretted it as a stabbing pain from my injured shoulder stole my breath.

He didn't ask me any questions for a few minutes. I was pretty sure he was giving me time to work through the pain without showing it. My shoulder and side may have been healed on the surface, but it only helped me to forget that they were still healing under the skin. Just as the pain was ebbing away, we came up to small clearing that looked more like a partial break in the trees. There were several stumps that popped up in the grass, their tops smooth like they had been sanded down.

Captain Hitsugaya walked over to a cluster of stumps that sat in the shade. He took a seat on one of them, folding his legs in front of him. I followed suit, taking a seat on the stump closest to the one he has chosen. Deciding that the surface was large enough I sat with my legs folded at my side and pulled my zanpakuto from my sash to rest it at my hip.

"What motivates you to be a Soul Reaper now?"

I watched his expression for a moment, trying to gauge why he was asking me these questions. My response wasn't altogether friendly. "You're trying to judge my character?"

"Not at all," he countered. "You've been my 3rd seat for over 5 years now, and this entire time, I haven't known anything about you outside of your role in the squad and your power. To be able to help you get stronger, I need to know more about you."

"Oh," I mumbled. That really did make sense, but then a thought occurred to me. "Alright, I'll answer your questions and open up to you, but I'd like to ask one thing in return."

He waited for me to continue. "I'm pretty sure I don't have to say this, but please don't say anything to Lieutenant Rangiku. The last time I told her about my trip to the Rukon district, I came to find her drunk talking about some stuff I'd told her. I mean, I didn't tell her to keep it a secret or anything, but still. There are just some things that don't need to get back to my clan."

"Whatever happens or is said between us, will stay between us," he assured me. Something inside me relaxed with his words. I had always been a pretty private person, especially since I had been able to perform shikai. People were such snoops when something was different from the norm, so I'd taken to hiding how I activated my shikai. Most of the officers in my squad knew that I didn't know my zanpakuto's name, but they didn't know that I had to pretty much stab myself in order to get my shikai to work.

"Thank you, sir," I said quietly. "What did you ask me again?"

"Never mind that," He said, waving a hand to dismiss the thought. "I may have ordered you to come here, but you didn't protest. What do you want to gain out of training?"

I didn't even have to think about my answer. "I don't want to be helpless anymore."

He nodded and his gaze trailed down my body to rest at my hip. I glanced down to my zanpakuto, then back up to him.

"Show me how your shikai works."

I hesitated before reaching for my sword. He'd seen me use my shikai before. I had showed him and Rangiku when I'd joined Squad 10. Why he wanted to see me use it again… maybe he wanted to gauge if I had gotten better with it or not.

"What do you want me to do with it?" I finally asked him.

I watched as he reached into his haori and pulled something out. I focused on the object, curiosity getting the better of me. His gaze flicked from mine to the object in his hand and back. I didn't care if he wanted to see my reaction to whatever was in his hand. Slowly, he turned it over, revealing a mangled scrap of metal. It took me a minute to recognize the silver and bronze mess in his hand. My hand trailed up with my hair where my kanzashi normally resided.

"You found it," I whispered.

I was off my perch on the stump and kneeling before him in one swift movement. I pulled my zanpakuto from her sheath and gripped her blade in my hand, grinding the sharp metal into my palm and letting it soak in my blood. I cradled his much larger hand in my other palm, focusing solely on my ruined kanzashi. I didn't bother saying anything as I called upon my zanpakuto's power. I didn't actually need to call out the name of my shikai to make it work, so I didn't bother. The power I called focused into banners of light, and I began bending the kanzashi back into its original shape. With my hand still bleeding freely into my zanpakuto, I had more power than usual and was able to quickly reshape the wings and body of the delicate hummingbird.

Pulling reishi from dead foliage nearby, I pushed it from one form to another, creating the metal plates and placing them where they belonged before creating silver loops and lacing them through the plates and the body of the hummingbird. Many of the jewels that had adorned the wing tips and eyes of the hummingbird were missing as well, most likely lost when their setting was crushed. I needed something stronger than foliage to remake the gems. The density of the reishi was much higher in gems than precious metals.

I closed his hand carefully over the kanzashi with my own before I stood and turned away from him. I needed material to make the gems, and I would need to dig for them. Taking a few steps away, I turned my eyes to the ground. Banners of my power shot into the ground as I searched for what I was looking for. If we had been in the Seireitei, I would have taken down an entire wall for this, but as it was, I needed to find stone and a lot of it. My power brushed across something hard. I circled it, wrapping it with my power. Yes, this would do.

I pulled on the boulder in the ground. It was deep, so deep in the ground. Using my empty hand, I grabbed the boulder with my mind's eye and heaved upwards. The weight was immense as I pulled up. I felt the wound in my chest tear, but I ignored the pain. I needed more power.

"Ask your zanpakuto for more," I heard my captain's voice from behind me. "Don't allow yourself to be the only fuel for your shikai."

Looking down at my hand holding my blade, I frowned. My hand had gone numb shortly after I had started fixing my kanzashi. I was losing too much blood to my zanpakuto, but I was almost done. Asking her for more power was out of the question. She wouldn't respond. I just knew it. I had no name to call her by. Why would she lend me her power if I couldn't call her a name?

"Damn it," I cursed. "She won't listen. She never has, not when I'm working like this."

I ground my teeth together and refocused my efforts. Adjusting my mind's eye grip on the boulder I put my whole body into lifting it from the earth. The ground a few feet away cracked and began to part, dirt welling from spot. Sweat dripped down my brow as the boulder crested the surface. I didn't bother pulling it the rest of the way free.

"She started listening to you the first time you performed your shikai."

His voice was distant in my head as I worked to compress the boulder down over and over until only a few rocks the size of small gems remained in the air. I held my shaking hand out and brought them to me. Once they were in my hand I blew lightly on them, removing the dust that covered the tiny diamonds. Turning back to my captain, I covered a stumble as I moved towards him. When I went to kneel in front of him I almost fell, but he steadied me with his free hand. Picking up the diamonds with banners of light, I reached for his other hand. He unfolded his fingers when I touched the back of his hand revealing the kanzashi. I sank the diamonds into their settings, securing them with their prongs.

Running my eyes over the kanzashi, I made sure that I had fixed everything before I dropped my zanpakuto to the ground. My entire arm felt cold from the blood loss and I could barely curl my fingers when I turned my palm up to look at what I had done to myself. I was getting light headed too, which wasn't good. I started to reach for the binding cloth I always kept on me, but before I could pull it from my sleeve, Captain Hitsugaya was wrapping fresh bandages around my hand. I jerked, looking up at him with surprise.

"I know how you activate your shikai, Yamamoto. I didn't expect you to do this much damage to yourself though," His voice was chiding, but his touch was gentle despite how tightly he was binding my hand.

"The more I sacrifice to the blade, the stronger my control gets and the less spiritual energy it requires," I responded with a slightly shaky voice. I was having trouble breathing again, but I did my best to hide it and take even breaths. "I think she just resists me less so I don't have to force my shikai to work as hard. Normally, I don't allow myself to do that though, holding my blade continuously."

"You have a lot more power than you think," he said as his gaze flicked to mine for a moment before returning to my hand. "Have you ever done that before?"

I shook my head. "Not like that. I never had a reason to until now. Delicate things take more power to put right. Not enough power, and I'll end up mashing it into an unrecognizable ball."

"You need immense power to be able to force your shikai like you just did," he commented, "but you are expending too much spirit energy making it work. You need to find a way to work with your zanpakuto, to earn her confidence and-" He abruptly stopped talking and turned his head to look to his right.

I heard footsteps running towards us from my left. Captain Hitsugaya pretended to ignore them as he turned his gaze down and continued to wrap my hand. He was putting it on thick, which considering how deeply I had gouged myself, it was probably a good thing.

Lieutenant Rangiku and Lieutenant Abarai came to a stop beside us. As I looked up to Rangiku, I was greeted with a look of shock. For a moment, I thought it was as the sight of Captain Hitsugaya tending my wound until she blurted out, "Was that spirit pressure you, Ria?"

I hesitated before responding with a small, "Yes?"

"Wow!" She cheered. "I've never felt you like that before. Did Toshiro piss you off or something?"

"Rangiku," Captain Hitsugaya growled her name.

"What? You can be pretty aggravating sometimes, ya know!" She defended herself.

Captain Hitsugaya secured the bandages he had wrapped around my hand with a rough tug. I couldn't help but to flinch as a sharp, stinging sensation shot through my hand. I ignored his stare and reached for my zanpakuto. I tried to close my hand over the hilt, but my fingers failed me so I used my other hand to grasp it. There wasn't even a smear of blood on the blade or hilt as I quickly inspected it. My hand was shaking so bad that it took me a few tries to get the blade back into its sheath.

"Ria," Rangiku's voice was soft as she came over to me.

"I'm fine," I quickly said. "It's just a little blood loss."

"You're not fine," Rangiku scolded. "Just look at your chest wound. You need to go back to Squad 4's barracks."

I looked down at myself and couldn't believe how red my bandages had gotten. It was like seeing the blood made the ache that was in my chest exploded into a stabbing, burning, horrible sensation. I didn't let it show though, but this would explain why I was feeling woozy. I shook my head and started moving to stand. My chest revolted against the movement but Rangiku was there to support me as I started to tilt to one side. I could vaguely remember hearing Rangiku's voice in the World of the Living. She had known just how badly injured I was instead of having just seen the bandages. "I just need a nap. I don't want to take away from your training."

"Captain, why did you let her do this to herself?"

"Rangiku," Renji rebuked, "feel her spiritual pressure. She's not as bad off as you think." I focused on the Squad 6 Lieutenant and gave him a small smile. He wasn't wearing his Lieutenant's patch today, but he was adorning his ever-present headband. Today, his hair was in the ponytail he seemed to favor despite his wife's insistence that he wear it down more often. Their compromise typically resulted in his hair being braided down his back. Apparently, he had gotten out of the house this morning without running into Rukia.

"I'm fine," I insisted as I stepped away from her. "Thank you for your concern though, Lieutenant Rangi-"

A high-pitched ring sounded through the area. All of us perked up at the sound as a hell butterfly flew towards us. Rangiku held out her hand and the butterfly landed on it.

"Attention, all 13 Court Guard Squads," a voice rang through the small insect. "Hollows have been detected outside of East Rukon Districts 65 through 80. All squads are ordered to intercept and eliminate the threat immediately."

We all stared at the butterfly as it repeated its message and took off, flying beyond the canopy. We were outside of East Rukon, all the way past district 80. How none of us had sensed the hollows was shocking. I wasn't strong enough to put out feelers for Hollows in my current condition, so maybe we were just too distracted?

Rangiku turned to Captain Hitsugaya as he stood. "Renji, inform the others of what we just heard and instruct them to report back to their squads for orders." He ordered. He watched Renji vanish before he turned to Rangiku and I. "Will you be able to keep up with us, Yamamoto?"

I shook my head. "I doubt I can even flash step right now," I said as I brushed my fingertips over my bloodied bandages.

"Can you use your shikai?"

I looked down to my hand. I wanted to tell him no, but… "I can if I have to."

He nodded. "Hide yourself then, we will be back as soon as we can." He looked to Rangiku and together, they vanished.

I waited a moment after they left, ensuring that they wouldn't come back before I hunched over and clutched my chest in an attempt to ease the pain. Forcing that boulder up from the ground had been a really, really bad idea. I should have dug it out instead of trying to pull it, but that would have taken time and I probably would have had to stop before I could finish. In the end, I hadn't even thought to take my kanzashi from him.

Slowly, I shuffled over to one of the full-sized trees and rested my good shoulder against the bark. I slid down until I was curled up against the tree, making myself as small as I could. I needed to sleep, but there could be a hollow in the area. Maybe if I just stayed still and…

I was startled awake by a booming noise that shook the ground. I lifted my head only to feel my scabbing wound on my chest crack and hunched back down. Using minimal movement, I glanced around to see the trunk of a collapsed tree. Its remainder sprawled across the ground not two feet from me. My brain couldn't seem to process the change in environment. The tree I was leaning against had been halved cleanly, as if done by some sort of blade.

'Soul Reaper,' my zanpakuto's voice rang in my head. I thought I was just imagining her at first, until I saw her appear kneeling before me.

"Hi," I said with a goofy smile, "what's my fortune today?"

"She Who Grows, but Soul Reaper," she relayed urgently while reaching out to me. Her hand ghosted across the wound on my chest. "I did not foresee what is about to happen. You need to come to your senses and run."

"Run? But I'm waiting for my captain to come back."

"He will not make it to you if you do not run. Go, Soul Reaper. You must go now," she urged as her hands clasped over mine and tugged.

I didn't understand why she wanted me to run, but feeling her touch shot a sense of panic into my chest. She was genuinely scared for me. Fighting my body's urge to remain curled up, I crawled away from the tree trunks and shakily came to my feet. I started walking off in some direction-I couldn't really tell where I was heading. My zanpakuto's presence turned my steps almost 90 degrees, so I kept going that way.

Something brushed against my back and I glanced over my shoulder to see what it was. Loping just behind me was a hollow that loomed almost ten feet taller than me. Its skin was a splotchy mess of blues and greens except for where its skeletal frame jutted out in points, breaking through the skin to gleam yellow. Its mask looked like it had started melting on its oversized head, leaving stiff globs of white partially covering its eyes. Arms wavering like snakes extended toward me, its fingers searching for me like feelers.

Fear spiked through me at the sight of the hideous hollow. I flash stepped a short distance away to put some distance between the hollow and myself. Those wiggling arms shot after me, thinning as they closed the gap. I flash stepped away again, feeling more tired than ever. The hollow was right on my tail, its arms ever reaching for me.

I raised my palm towards the hollow and half shouted, "Hado #31. Shakkaho!"

A red ball of flames the size of a tennis ball shot from my palm towards the hollow. I fired one after another in rapid succession as I aimed for its outstretched hands. The hollow retracted its hands and used its arms to shelter itself. I used the distraction to put more distance between us with a few flash steps.

After several jumps, I had to stop. Finding a thicker branch high up in the trees, I collapsed and clutched at my chest. I was having trouble breathing again, so much so that I was nearly hyperventilating. Spots were starting to form at the corners of my eyes. If I had to flash step much more, I was going to pass out, and that would certainly get me killed. Surely, I had put enough distance between that hollow and myself to be safe for a few minutes. Using the tree trunk for support, I tried to stand but ended up almost losing my footing. I slouched back against the tree and tried to think of whatever else I could do.

The tree I was in lurched, causing me to nearly tumble off my branch. The tree started to shift, leaning to one side and sliding down. I didn't need to look down to know the hollow had already caught up with me. Sluggishly, I flash stepped to another tree as the one I had been on tumbled over. Just as I landed, I felt the tree give and begin to fall as well. I cursed under my breath and made to step to the next tree when a branch hit me like a baseball bat across my abdomen. All my breath whooshed from my lungs and I felt myself falling backward,. incapable of doing anything. I was going to get eaten by a damn hollow and I couldn't do anything about it.

A body slammed into mine, catching me mid fall before landing roughly on another tree. Tears welled in my eyes as I struggled to take in air. Whoever had caught me set my feet down on the branch but kept an arm around my waist to support me as I fought with myself. I looked up with bleary eyes and could easily make out my captain's white hair and haori. I almost collapsed with relief, but his arm kept me standing.

He held his zanpakuto up with his free hand. He had already released his shikai, the crescent shaped blade held to the hilt by a chain only a few feet long. He flicked his blade ever so slightly and shards of ice formed only to be sent flying down. The hollow below roared, and I felt the tree we were on give way. With a flash step, we were suddenly on the ground several yards away from the hollow. His grip around me tensed as he lifted his sword.

"Hyorinmaru!" he shouted, bring his blade down in one swift movement. Ice shot from the blade, growing as it shot toward the hollow. The head of a dragon formed, screaming as it sped for the hollow. The hollow disintegrated as soon as the ice dragon smashed into it, leaving a staggering spire of ice where the hollow had been. Had I really been running from a hollow that weak, or had he just used that much power?

I finally managed to catch my breath as Captain Hitsugaya looked down at me. "I am sorry, I should have never left you out here alone."

"It's alright," I said, still sounding a bit breathless. "My zanpakuto told me you would come."

He seemed satisfied with that answer and started to pull away from me. Instantly, my legs gave out under my weight, but he caught me mid-fall and lowered me to the ground. He dropped his shikai and slid his zanpakuto back into its sheath on his back.

"How badly are you hurt?" he asked, kneeling at my side.

"No worse than before," I answered, "just exhausted."

He nodded and moved to pick me up. "Squad 4 is busy on the front lines. I'll take you back to the barracks."

His arms slipped under my legs and back and he pulled me to his chest like I weighed nothing. I relaxed and allowed him to pull me closer. My senses began fading from disorientation and exhaustion, and only the change in scenery kept me cognizant of the fact that he was flash stepping.. With my eyes closed, I could barely feel the subtle movement he made with his steps, the extra effort he was putting forth to make his movements mostly unnoticeable.

Only a short while later, I felt his movements pause and he took a normal step. I opened my eyes to see he had stopped outside the Squad 10 barracks and was walking toward the small medical wing that we maintained. It was used to treat minor injuries or wounds that didn't require us to go to Squad 4 for treatment.

I was really surprised he had gotten all the way here so quickly. Coming up to the door, he paused for a moment only to slide the door open with his foot before entering. He set me down on one of the treatment tables and stepped back so he could look down at me.

"I am needed back in the Rukon District. You should be fine here," He said as he turned towards the door.

I reached out to him reflexively, catching his sleeve in my hand. His aquamarine eyes peered down at me questioningly.

My voice was soft, just more than a whisper, as I said, "Thank you."

His lips turned up in a small smile before he turned away and I let his sleeve slip from my fingers as he left the room.